Should the Black Community Object to What is Called “Inter-Racial Dating?”
By Ronald Yates
Throughout the extensive history of humans on this planet, people of various hues and cultures have formed lasting relationships. It was not until the 15th century that we begin to see the genesis of what would be referred to as “Race.” Consequently, today we are obsessed with one’s skin color or one group or another trying to prove, what they believe, is their inherent superiority. If you ask the average person what racial group they belong to, their response will be either Black, White, Asian, or Hispanic. Almost no one will respond “Human.”
Prior to the 20th Century obsession with skin color, people were identified by the region they originated from. Black people were called either Africans or Ethiopians, Italians were referred to as Romans, Brits were known as Saxons or Normans, Spaniards were at times referred to as Hispanics or by the region in Spain they came from. My point is there were no references to “Black or White because no one saw themselves that way. Although it was the ancient world, in some areas they were way ahead of us in terms of human relations. They viewed people simply as people; but once the sick obsession of something called race began to take hold, we no longer saw one another as equals. Some were of greater or lesser value based solely on the color of their skin. Centuries ago, it was common to see people of various skin tones walking together, hand-in-hand, and no one objected to the scene. Today if an inter-racial couple enters an establishment nearly everyone will raise an eyebrow and there will be the constant stares and whispered comments.
Should the Black Community be upset at the sight of an inter-racial couple? For many of us, it invokes some deep emotional scars of the legacy of slavery, followed by Jim Crow and segregation. How many Black men were hung from trees for simply looking at a White woman? How many White woman were killed for loving another human being whose skin just happened to be Black? For the White community, the same sight is met with anger… there is no way a “lesser human being” belongs with a White woman or White man, but perhaps for them, there is a deeper fear that they (Europeans) will be bred out of existence. While humans coming together, regardless of skin color or cultural differences to marry, is not new; the concept of being “Biracial” is. That is a major departure from the long-held belief in this country that “One drop of Black blood, makes you Black. Today the perception has changed. Children who have one Black parent and one White parent are referred to as Biracial.
It is difficult for me to grasp, if we are all members of the “Human Race,” how is it possible to be “Biracial.” I would have to assume the only way to be ‘Biracial would be to mix DNA with an alien species, therefore being part human and part Klingon for instance. For Black women it would appear that the sight of an inter-racial couple is viewed as an act of betrayal for Black women who stood by Black men for years, only to be cast aside for White women is a slap in the face. So many successful Black entrepreneurs, athletes, and actors abandon their sisters for women who seemingly would not have given them the time of day. For black men who get angry when a sister is arm-in-arm with a White man, perhaps that sister grew tired of waiting for Mr. Right, the Black version, to show up.
Life must go on, if it’s with a White man so be it… as long as she is happy. In the 21st Century with all of our technological advances, we have reverted in the area of human relations. “Love thy neighbor” only applies if that neighbor looks like you and shares your political ideology.
